OnLive cloud gaming: review

A new form of on-demand gaming has just arrived in Britain, writes Ashton
Raze.

4

The OnLive home screen

By Ashton Raze

7:00AM BST 06 Oct 2011

It’s called OnLive and it aims to take full advantage of improving broadband services to deliver cheap but technically advanced entertainment. Like many of Google’s services, such as Gmail, it is a “cloud” service. This means most of the hard work of actually running software is done by racks of servers in large data centres.

Users connect their PC, Mac, or special OnLive “MicroConsole” to the service, choose from the library of titles, and they’re ready to go. The games are entirely on-demand, with no install or download times.

Because all settings and progress are saved on OnLive’s servers, users can play anywhere with internet access and a compatible device, picking up where they left off. And since the games are running in the data centre, graphically-demanding titles can run on a device which would otherwise not be powerful enough. Tablet applications are in development, for example.

OnLive’s MicroConsole is a good demonstration of the principle. It comes with HDMI and USB cables, a controller, and retails for only £69.99. Yet it is capable of providing access to cutting-edge titles such as F.E.A.R. 3.

There are around 150 games already available for OnLive, ranging from new, high-profile titles such as Deus Ex: Human Revolution to entertaining novelties like Mini Ninjas. There's also a strong catalogue of games from independent developers such as Amnesia: The Dark Descent and World of Goo.

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The setup was so simple that it perhaps felt a little terse. While OnLive's 'straight out the box' approach is admirable, a more explanatory instruction manual would have come in handy. Fully understanding the MiniConsole requires a little more information than provided by the setup diagram. For example, it's not clear that you can connect a USB keyboard and mouse to the console, yet some games require these peripherals.

However, the OnLive interface was slick and well-presented, and after some experimentation, and maybe a trip to the online help section, things became more straightforward.

The majority of titles available offer free “demo” access. Trying one out is a simple matter of selecting it and the “demo” option from the OnLive marketplace.

There is no installing or downloading: once you’ve made your choice you're straight into the game, like a BBC iPlayer for video games. Full OnLive games cost around the same as their normal counterparts, although early adopters are being offered their first full game for £1. Once you’ve purchased a game, you can access it instantly at any time.

Alternatively, for £6.99 per month the “PlayPack” package offers access to more than 100 titles, including multiplayer versions of F.E.A.R. 3 and Homefront. BT Broadband customers can get this package for free for three months as part of OnLive’s launch.

The Telegraph tested OnLive’s MiniConsole on a 10mbps Sky Broadband connection, and aside from an initial hiccup, the service was largely flawless at all times of the day.

That is not to say there weren’t gripes, however. Graphics are noticeably compromised on some games, and occasionally we were forced to wait for a space on a server before playing.

OnLive is nevertheless an exciting indication of what's to come from cloud gaming. On slower connections, the service can struggle a great deal: Britain’s broadband infrastructure is perhaps not quite ready to make the most of cloud gaming just yet. But based on our experience there is great potential here.